Interconnected radio network

Abstract

A method for establishing and operating a wireless, packet switching data transmission network can be performed by a network in which: an omnidirectional module sends request information containing the station number of a first radio station to other radio stations in the range of reception thereof after having switched on said first radio station, and in which the radio stations receiving the request information send response information containing their respective station numbers to the first radio station, and in which the first radio station sends connection requests to those radio stations from which it has received response information, and in which the first radio station uses its directional radio module to establish a directional radio link for transmitting data packets in the mesh network to the directional radio module of at least one second radio station which has responded positively to the connection request.

1 . A method for establishing and operating a wireless, packet switching data transmission network for stationary telecommunication purposes based on a mesh network of identically constructed radio stations, each of which is marked by a unique station number, the method comprising:
 a. an omnidirectional module sending request information containing the station number of a first radio station to other radio stations in the range of reception of said first radio station, after having switched on said first radio station;   b. the other radio stations receiving the request information and sending response information containing their respective station numbers to the first radio station;   c. the first radio station sending connection requests to those radio stations from which it has received response information; and   d. the first radio station using its directional radio module to establish a directional radio link for transmitting data packets in the mesh network to the directional radio module of at least one second radio station which has responded positively to the connection request.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein establishment of the directional radio link comprises the following steps:
 the first radio station moving a first directional antenna, which is driven to rotate in a horizontal plane, of the directional radio module clockwise or counter-clockwise until the first directional antenna receives a reference signal emitted by the omnidirectional module of the second radio station and/or a second directional antenna of the second radio station;   the second radio station moving a second directional antenna, which is driven to rotate within a horizontal plane, of the second directional radio module clockwise or counter-clockwise until the second directional antenna receives a reference signal emitted by the omnidirectional module of the first radio station and/or the first directional antenna of the first radio station while establishing the directional radio link; and   transmitting and receiving a data packet via the adjusted first directional antenna and second directional antenna in order to test the directional radio link.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the first directional antenna and/or the second directional antenna is/are adjusted horizontally, vertically and/or in their polarization planes, until the reference signal of the opposite radio station is received at a maximum signal strength and signal quality. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 the radio stations receiving the request information from the first radio station measuring the signal strength and the signal quality of the received request information and sending the measured signal strength and the measured signal quality back to the first radio station in the response information; and   the first radio station measuring the signal strength and the signal quality of the response information and sending connection requests to those radio stations whose measured signal strength and signal quality contained in the response information and/or whose signal strength and signal quality of the response information measured by the first radio station are strong compared to the other measured signal strengths and signal qualities of the other radio stations.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 the first radio station determining the distance between said first radio station and another radio station by measuring the delay time of a data packet which is transmitted to and received by said other radio station and sending connection requests to those radio stations which, compared to other radio stations, are closer to the first radio station.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 the first radio station having at least two independent directional radio modules establishing a directional radio link to at least two other radio stations located within the radio range of the omnidirectional module in order to establish the mesh network.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein data packets received by the radio station via the directional radio link are further transmitted according to a label contained in each data packet, either over another directional radio link of the radio station via radio or over a cable interface of the radio station via a cable connection. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein each directional radio module of the radio station autonomously decides about the further distribution of the data packets received over the directional antenna according to the labels contained in the data packets. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each directional radio module further transmits all data packets received over a directional radio module-cable interface of the directional radio module via the directional antenna without any further processing. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 adding a label to each of the data packets transmitted over a cable interface to the radio station, said label containing information concerning the further transmission of the data packet within the mesh network, before the data packets are transmitted over the directional radio links of the radio stations.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the radio stations are able to multiply data packets by transmitting them simultaneously via several directional radio links and/or via a cable interface. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein establishment or disestablishment of a directional radio link between two radio stations is communicated to all radio stations connected to said two radio stations via other directional radio links. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , comprising:
 passing information concerning the establishment or disestablishment of directional radio links on from each radio station to other radio stations until this information reaches relevant radio stations within the radio network.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein two radio stations are forced to establish or prevented from establishing a directional radio link between one another by means of the configuration of the respective radio stations. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first directional radio module sends the request information to the radio station within the radio range of the first radio station and the first directional radio module receives the response information from the radio stations responding to said request information. 
     
     
         16 . A radio station for implementing the method according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 an omnidirectional module comprising at least one omnidirectional antenna for transmitting request information and connection requests to omnidirectional modules of other radio stations and for receiving response information from radio stations located within the radio range of said radio station;   at least two independent directional radio modules configured for establishing two directional radio links to two other radio stations in order to transmit data packets within the mesh network, each directional radio module having a motor for driving a directional antenna to rotate within a horizontal plane and in a vertical plane and/or the polarization plane; and   a cable interface for coupling data packets from a cable into the wireless mesh network or for decoupling data packets from the wireless mesh network.